The motto reads "en aumento de la justicia contra malhechores", more or less "increasing justice against offenders." It is usual to depict the 'u' as a 'v' in mottoes and similar instances, thus the motto actually is spelt "avmento". In this case, the traditional arms remain in use by the provincial authorities of Álava, whereas the Basque autonomous government omits the "monarchical,
lordly and/or fratricidal" motto in the Álava quarter of their arms.